How to Find Your First 100 Customers Using AI (No Ads Required)
- Kirsten at Coastal Collective
- Mar 24
- 3 min read
Finding your first 100 customers is one of the biggest hurdles for so many businesses (myself included!), especially early-stage entrepreneurs and solopreneurs. The good news? You don’t need a huge budget—or any ad spend at all to reach this milestone. With the right AI tools, you can find your people, start meaningful conversations, and attract leads organically.
In this post (and my new YouTube video!) I’ll show you how to use ChatGPT and a few clever prompts to:
Define your ideal customer
Discover where they’re hanging out online
Reach out with messages that actually get replies
Generate content that attracts leads (instead of chasing them)
Let’s dive in.
Step 1: Use AI to Identify Your Ideal Customer
Before you market anything, you need to know who you’re marketing to. That’s where AI tools like ChatGPT come in handy.
Try this ChatGPT prompt:
“I run a [type of business]. My ideal customers are [insert demo details]. What are their biggest pain points, where do they hang out online, and how do they currently solve their problems?”
With just one prompt, you’ll get insights into:
Pain points your audience faces
Communities and platforms they use
Tools they already rely on (and may be frustrated with)
Instead of guessing, you’ve now got a roadmap.
Step 2: Find Where They Hang Out Online
No need to spend money on Facebook or Instagram ads if you show up in the right places organically.
Prompt to use in ChatGPT or Perplexity:
“Find active Facebook Groups, LinkedIn Groups, and Reddit communities where [your target audience] talks about [pain points]. Share 5-10 relevant groups and describe engagement levels.”
You’ll uncover:
Niche Facebook Groups
Subreddits packed with your potential customers
LinkedIn groups and Twitter hashtags worth tapping into
These are the digital watering holes where your audience already gathers. All you need to do is join the conversation.
Step 3: Send AI-Powered Outreach Messages
Now that you’ve found them, what do you say?
AI can help you write outreach messages that feel personal—not spammy.
Use this ChatGPT prompt:
“Write a personalized DM for someone in [group/thread] who posted about [problem]. Keep it short, helpful, and friendly—not salesy.”
Example output:
“Hey [Name], saw your post about [pain point]. I recently helped a client with something similar using [simple solution]. Happy to share how I did it—no pressure!”
This works because:
It’s tailored to them
You’re leading with value, not a pitch
It’s short and easy to reply to
Step 4: Attract Leads With AI-Generated Content
Not a fan of outreach? Let the leads come to you.
Blog posts optimized for SEO
Engaging social posts for LinkedIn or Twitter
Downloadable lead magnets like checklists or templates
ChatGPT prompt for content ideas:
“Give me 10 LinkedIn post ideas for [your target audience] that solve [pain point] and include a clear call-to-action.”
Example post:
“Struggling to get your first 10 clients? I tested 3 AI-powered strategies—and here’s what actually worked. 🧵👇”
This kind of content builds trust and invites people to start a conversation with you.
Getting your first 100 customers is all about focus, empathy, and showing up where your people are. With the right AI tools, you can shortcut the guesswork—and skip the ad spend.
If you liked this post, check out the full video version on YouTube: 🎥 [How to Use AI to Find Your First 100 Customers (Without Ads)]
And if you’re serious about building smarter marketing strategies with less effort, subscribe to AI Marketing Made Easy—because we’re just getting started.
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